Indian Antiquary Vol 23

SR No.: 032515
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 61

FEBRUARY, 1894.] TRADERS' SLANG IN SOUTHERN INDIA
Private-trade-signs to mark the prices of articles in writing are, of course, used all the world over. The commoner ones in Madras to designate fractions are as follow:
=
= 1 = 18
I
51
I
These four marks were reluctantly given me by a trading friend, who assured me that the round figures were represented, in writing, by the initial letters of the words for them contained in my second group. Thus 1' would be written +. Here the s stands for sa, one, and the + for one-thirty-second. These symbols for fractions are generally used to designate the profit the native firm or trader charges on the cost price. Sometimes purely arbitrary marks are chosen in order to puzzle other traders; thus sometimes stands for ths; and sometimes an asterisk stands for ths.
The trading world of South India has a number of amusing stories of the successful working of their conventions and of the great use they have been to them. Here is one, which a trader related to me at Conjeeveram (Kâñchipuram).
Ten traders had gone to the town of Arcot from Conjeeveram to sell their goods, and were returning home with their purses full. In those days the path lay through a jungle for a certain part of the way, and, while they were passing through this, they were surprised unawares by three daring ruffians armed with scythes, while the poor traders had not even a stick between them. For trading and manliness, in the opinion of many Hindus, do not go hand in hand, and a trader must always submit to physical force without attempting to resist. True to this theory, our ten friends; as soon as they saw the three thieves, shuddered at their weapons, and, on the first demand, laid their all on the ground.
Had the thieves quietly retired to the woods with the money, this story would have ended here, and there would have been no occasion for the trading world to boast of the usefulhess of their conventions. But, unfortunately for the thieves, the matter did not end there, for the ruffians were elated at their easy conquest. They had always met with some show of resistance in their other adventures; but in this case they had only to order, and, to their surprise, found that the traders implicitly obeyed. So they collected the purses together, and, sitting opposite their trophy, asked our trader-friends to stand in a row. Their good dresses were the thieves' next demand. These, too, were given without any objection, excepting a small bit of cloth for each to cover his nakedness; and this was only kept with the dhe permission of the ruffians, willingly granted, for they contemptuously pitied these poor spécimens of the human race with no resistance in them. The ten traders now stood as suppliant beggars, ready to run away as soon as leave might be given. But no leave was given, as the thieves had comfortably taken their seats near the booty and the good clothes, and wanted to have a little more fun.
Said the chief of the three: "Do you fools know how to dance?"
"Yes, your honour," was the reply; for a denial of any kind, the traders thought, would only bring down the scythes on their necks.
"Then let us witness your dance before you go away. Give us all a dance," was the order.
The traders had to obey. One among them was very intelligent, and thought within himself that, as the thieves had won everything without any trouble, they would entertain no suspicion of any tricks being played at them. So he commenced a trick which, if the other traders helped, would work successfully. If not welcome to them, he could easily give it up without any harm to himself or to others; for none but his own party would understand what he was driving at. Now there must always be a song before a dance, or rather dancing must be accompanied by a song; and so he sang a song to introduce the dance, which was
1 Compare Major Temple's remarks on nafa' and asal dâm in Northern India: ante, Vol. XIV. p. 156 ff.